Finding our links in History - One Genealogist's thoughts, tidbits, and inspirations - All very much randomly posed.
One person's life does not stand-alone but interacts with family, neighbors, community, and history. Our Trees become Tangled just by living. --
T.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., located next to the Armed Forces Retirement Home, is one of only two National Cemeteries administered by the Dept. of the Army.

Friday, May 27, 2011

This collection contains the name index and images of Massachusettes state birth records from 1841-1915. The registers of births are arranged in volumes by year. Within the volumes the birth entries are arranged by town then numerically by the number it was entered into the registers and are searchable on the FamilySearch.org site.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Governor McDonnell Announces Virginia State Parks to Honor All Active-Duty Military and Virginia Veterans with Free Admission Through December 31st– Will Also Offer Free Admission to All Visitors June 13th-19th During the Week-Long Celebration of Virginia State Parks –

RICHMOND -Two days before the start of Memorial Day Weekend,Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that as part of the year-long celebration of the 75thanniversary of Virginia State Parks, all active-duty military, as well as veterans residing in Virginia, will receive free admission to all Virginia State Parks beginning this Friday and continuing through the end of the year."Our brave women and men of the military are called upon to sacrifice in countless ways. Now, a grateful Commonwealth thanks them for their service with free admission to all Virginia State Parks from this weekend through the end of the year. This is a small gesture of appreciation for the women and men who have given so much to defend our liberty and freedom. There are 327,000 active-duty military personnel, and families, as well as 823,000 armed forces veterans, who make their homes here in Virginia. We hope many will take advantage of this opportunity. We are also pleased to offer free admission to Virginia's State Parks for all visitors from June 13th-19th, in recognition of the 75thAnniversary of the Parks. I encourage all Virginians to get out to a State Park this summer and discover first-hand our Commonwealth's beauty and wonders."The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, which manages the award-winning Virginia State Parks, is waiving all parking fees, the only fees charged at State Parks by the Commonwealth, for all Virginia-resident armed forces veterans. Fees are also waived for all active duty members of the armed forces including activated reservists and National Guardsmen, regardless of their state of residency. The offer is also good for the immediate family of active-duty personnel even if that person is not with the family.To participate, veterans must either have a retired military identification card or a standard discharge form known as a DD214. Active duty personnel must have their photo identification card issued by the Department of Defense, and family members must have their government-issued ID card.

"Virginia has the best state parks in the country, and Governor McDonnell and I remain committed to making Virginia the nation's most veteran-friendly state," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Terrie Suit. "This celebratory admission is a natural fit that continues our long-standing commitment to Virginia's active and retired military."

The free admission for military is not the only special in the year-long celebration in Virginia's state parks, which opened June 15, 1936.

"We'll offer free parking to all visitors June 13-19 as we celebrate our 75thanniversary all week long," said DCR Director David Johnson. "With more than 8 million visitors a year, and around a $189 million impact on Virginia's economy, Virginia State Parks play an important role in Virginia's outstanding quality of life."For more information about Virginia State Parks, visitwww.virginiastateparks.gov.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Dave Quiring, president of Quiring Monuments, has created living headstones where a smart tag is built into the gravestone which visitors can scan into their smart phone and are taken to a personalized website full of information about the departed person. Here their lives can be remembered with photos, sayings, stories, obituaries, videos, and even humor.
Read the Full News Article:High-tech headstones immortalizing life stories by Eric Johnson

Sunday, May 1, 2011

ALA Virtual Legislative Day allows library advocates to contact Congress from home

Virtual Library Legislative Day is part of the American Library Association’s (ALA) National Library Legislative Day on May 10, when hundreds of library advocates will descend on Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and their staffs. Library advocates who cannot make it to Capitol Hill for the event can still be a part of the effort by calling and/or e-mailing their elected officials on May 10 – or any time the week of May 9-13.

So the trip to Washington isn’t in your budget? No problem! By calling and/or e-mailing your elected officials in Washington and asking them to vote for libraries, you can make a difference. Just five minutes of your time will help support and strengthen the efforts of the library supporters in Washington rallying on May 10. If you cannot call or e-mail your elected official on May 10, please do so sometime between May 9-13.